Triumvirate: A Story In Three Parts
by Kel

Chapter One: Inner Struggle

Lionel rolled the meditation balls in his hand, listening to the quiet chimes as the balls orbited and occasionally touched. They did nothing to sooth the discordance in his soul. What was left of it.

Sending Lex to Smallville had been the right thing to do, and now Lionel was sure of it. His time in the small town had honed the boy. Perhaps it had been the multiple brushes with death in a way that was different from the Metropolis clubs he knew his son haunted. Perhaps it was his friendship with the mysterious Kent boy and the quest to win Jonathan's respect in lieu of Lionel's own.

He'd sent his son to the ends of the Luthor empire to temper him, to turn him into a man worthy of the reins of command, and now Lionel saw before him a young Caesar, ready to rise up and bring the army over the Tiberian ground between Smallville and Metropolis and lead them through the city gates and straight into the boardroom of LuthorCorp.

It is time to bring Caesar home. Temper his power as well as his steel before he becomes uncontrollable.

When had Lex stopped being his son and instead became his heir? Lionel wasn't sure when the distinction had been made, only that it had and the point of no return had been crossed long ago.

Time to bring young Caesar back to Rome, crown him prince for all to see, and slowly begin the great machinations that would turn control of the empire over to Lex.

Why did Lex hate him so? He'd long stopped pondering that question too. He knew there would be no good answer, no answer that didn't blame himself as well as the boy, and instead chose simply to acknowledge that it was so.

When did he get so old? Lex still seemed so young, so fresh, and yet... his eyes and his experience spoke of an age far more than his mere two decades.

When had Lionel himself grown so old? Perhaps it was with Julian's death. Perhaps it happened even before that, perhaps the answers to both their questions could be traced back to 1989 and the meteor shower. Had Lex hated him before that? No. He had not hated Lionel until... Lionel could no longer remember; it seemed as though Lex had always hated him. What he did remember was it crystallizing around the time Julian was born. In retrospect, he knew what his mistake had been. He had shown the baby love that Lex no longer seemed to want from him, and that is when the child had died.

Had Lex had a hand in it? No. He knew not, because he had stood in the shadows of Lex's doorway that night, watching his firstborn sleep. Then in the morning, Julian had been found dead, and Lionel knew then he could not risk killing Lex with his love. But that was all right, because Lex hated him anyway.

Then when Lex was seventeen, six years after Julian's death, on the anniversary of it in fact, Lex had come home drunk and angry. He'd stormed into Lionel's study at two in the morning and trashed it completely, and when Lionel had come down to stop him, Lex had demanded why a dead child rated more love than the son who stood alive before him. The biting comment that Lionel had returned was lost in his memory, but not the stricken look that it brought to Lex's face, and then... Lex was all over him, hands alternately touching and flailing, hatefully demanding and pitiably needy at the same time, and Lionel touched his son for the first time since Julian's death. He crushed Lex against him in a tight embrace, and then turned Lex's face up to his, intending to say something that would close the gap between them, and then Lex whispered something that changed the formation of their relationship. "Love me, Dad."

Lionel shivered when he thought about it. Like most fathers craved I love you dad, one day I'll make you proud, Lionel craved this. The only expression of affection that he has ever gotten from his son. He wondered to himself, why it always had to be like this between them, and then Lex was sweeping into the office and there was no more time for thought.

Chapter Two: Power Struggle

"I've been waiting to hear other things from you for a lot longer."

Lionel put down the two balls he'd been rolling throughout the entire encounter, and then put his hand on Lex's arm. "I know what you want to hear, son." His hand started to stroke where it rested. "You want to hear that Daddy loves you."

Lex shivered and closed his eyes as his father's hand stroked him. He wanted to shake his head, deny the words, repulsed by the need inside him, but Lionel knew him too well. "Yes," Lex whispered hoarsely, almost inaudibly.

Lionel straightened and half-seated himself on the pool table. "Then come to Daddy, Lex." Lionel rested his hands on his thighs and waited for Lex to come to him.

Lex is cold all over as he walks over to Lionel. He can't believe what he is doing, can't believe he is letting himself fall prey to his father like this, but he craves it. Like most sons crave atta boy, son, way to make the old man proud, Lex craves this. The only expression of affection that he has ever gotten from his father. He comes to a stop only millimeters away from invading Lionel's personal space, but then Lionel straightened completely and there was no personal space between them anymore.

Lionel didn't bother to undress himself, instead just reaching down and opening his fly. "Come on, Lex."

Part of Lex wanted to run screaming from the room, wanted to run and find Clark and confess everything and find solace and true love with his young farmboy, but Clark could never give him this. Could never give him paternal approval. Lex fell to his knees, winding his arms around Lionel's waist as he opened his mouth and engulfed his father's cock. He hugged Lionel tightly as he felt his father's touch ghosting over his naked scalp and face, cupping the back of his head. Almost an embrace, but even in this, Lionel was careful not to give too much. He let his mouth play along Lionel's cock until it was hard and his father took him by the shoulders and pulled him to his feet. "Dad," Lex whispered. "Why does it have to be like this?"

"Don't you want Daddy to love you, Lex?" His hand stroked his wet cock as Lex unbuckled his belt, letting his slacks fall to around his ankles, pushing his boxers down to follow. "It's all right, son. Trust me, Lex, I'm your father. I'm not going to hurt you." Lionel reached out and caressed his son's bared flesh tenderly, almost reverently. "Daddy won't hurt his boy."

Lex trembled as he felt Lionel's hand slide under his shirt and press down on his back. Always eager to be the good son, resentfully hungry for a kind word from Lionel, Lex bent to his father's silent dictates, laying his upper body across the pool table and shivered quietly.

"Good boy, Lex," Lionel praised, and Lex rubbed his face into the felt of the table, hating himself for the swell of happiness that stirred inside him at Lionel's approbation. Lex heard the tearing of a foil packet and he listened to the vaguely organic sound of the lubricated condom being slid over his father's organ, and then he felt Lionel's rough fingers spreading a thin layer of lube gleaned from the condom over his opening. "Brace yourself, son," Lionel whispered, and then pressed the head of his cock against Lex's body and pushed.

A whimper, a bloom of red behind his eyes, and Lex's body relaxed and welcomed his father's intrusion. "Dad," he choked out, on the verge of tears, though from what he couldn't hope to name. He felt Lionel's arm come around his waist and lift him effortlessly, his latex-covered cock sliding easily in and out of his son's body. Then came what Lex had been waiting for; Lionel's chest pressed to his back and his father's mouth was on his face, whispering words that he could get no other way.

"Daddy loves you, Lex. And I know you love me, too." Words whispered between fevered kisses to Lex's smooth cheek, and then Lionel licked his lips as salty tears touched them. "Don't cry, Lex, no matter how bad a boy you've been, Daddy loves you. Always loves you."

Lex dropped his head again, hiding it against the table. His hand was on his cock, stroking and pulling himself as he rocked back against his father. "Dad, I love you, why do we always have to be this way?" He worked himself faster and harder as Lionel continued to whisper endearments to his damp cheek.

"You're such a good boy, Lex. Always trying to make Daddy happy, aren't you?" Lionel continued to press kisses to Lex's cheek. "You try so hard to be a bad boy but you can't help making your Daddy proud."

Lex made no effort to hide the tears any longer. His heart felt ripped into pieces, that this parody of love was all that Lionel deemed him worthy of and it was even worse that he craved it more than he craved Clark. Lionel was rocking hard into him now, and his hand was stroking his cock at almost the same pace and it would be over soon. Soon Lionel would leave and Lex would go and shower for an hour and pretend that this had never happened all the while locking up his father's words in his heart as proof that Lionel loved him.

Then the final moment came, and Lionel was gripping Lex tightly around the waist and even through the sheath of latex Lex could feel the heat of his father's seed spilling inside him. He cried out softly as he came too, staining the woodwork of the table. For the brief moments afterwards, Lex cherished the fact that Lionel still held him tightly around the waist, resting his cheek on Lex's shoulder. "I love you, Lex." His hand came up to turn Lex's face to the side and kissed him, curiously tender, tasting the bitter tang of salt in his son's mouth. Lex trembled as he accepted the kiss, the sign of affection.

Then slowly, Lionel pulled out and away from his son. Lex raised his arm to dash his tears away, and quickly pulled his clothing back into place before turning to face his father. Lionel was already immaculate, and Lex backed against the pool table as his father reached out to touch him. He was trapped against the table, and Lionel caressed his cheek softly. "You know how I feel about you, Lex."

Lex stiffened and forced himself not to turn into the caress. "I know, Dad." He waited until Lionel's hand dropped to his shoulder. "But I'm still staying in Smallville." He winced as the hand tightened on his shoulder.

"Don't let me down again, Lex."

"I'll live down to the Luthor name, don't worry." Lex's fingers dug into the pool table. He wanted Lionel to touch him again, to fuck him again, or just never come back to Smallville. He didn't know what prospect was the most appealing at the moment.

"I never worry about you, Lex, just the family's reputation." Lionel swept out the door on that comment, and Lex dropped his head into his hands, his father's whispers of love echoing almost as loudly as his father's footsteps.

Chapter Three: Struggle's Completion

Lionel pushed himself to leave the room without touching Lex again. He wanted to; not to touch him again but to touch him, like a normal father touches his son. His mouth was still full of the taste of Lex's tears, and though he would not--could not--show it, it killed his heart. It would not do for the world to know that Lionel needed his son's affection, it would not do for the world to know that Lionel had that weakness to exploit.

He spoke to no one as he walked through the castle and out to his waiting car, which would take him to the plant where his helicopter was waiting. He gave his orders in a clipped, brusque tone and said no more words than needed. Once in the car, he rolled the window down and looked up at the window of Lex's office. As he saw the silhouette of his son backlit in the window, he slowly rolled the car window up and gave the barked order to depart.

Lex watched from the window of his office as his father's car left. He finally let himself shake as he poured several shots worth of vodka into a glass and combined it with a splash of orange juice and then drank it down almost instantly. It wasn't enough. He could still taste Lionel in his mouth, and knew of only one thing that could rid him of his father's touch.

His hand hovered over the telephone, then picked it up and made the call. The phone rang several times, and then the voice he needed most in the world picked up. "Hello?"

"Clark."

"Lex!"

Lex's chest tightened at the sheer joy in his lover's voice. "I just wanted you to know I'm not leaving."

A warm chuckle that was salve to Lex's soul. "I know, Lex. Figured that out last night when you called me from the hospital to come and get you."

"Did I thank you for that?" He knew it was inane, but anything to keep Clark on the phone.

"Lex, what's wrong?" Clark's voice was suddenly concerned.

"Nothing, Clark," he said, closing his eyes and fighting the surge in his stomach.

"Don't lie to me, Lex," Clark chided quietly. "You suck at it. Do you want me to come over?"

"Yeah," Lex said, resting his hand on the smooth surface of his desk. "Yeah, I do."

"I'll be right over."

"Mr. Luthor? The helicopter is waiting."

Gathering his long coat around him, Lionel climbed from the car and headed towards the makeshift chopper pad. He settled into the seat and fastened the safety harnesses, and then as the helicopter lifted off, he looked down at the castle again. A cold, sterile homestead where he had banished his son, only because he couldn't bear the cold eyes boring into him any longer.

The flare of sadness that thought brought was quickly buried, as was every other hurt Lionel had felt at Lex's hands. After all... Lex was his son. Would always be his son. And he could not bring himself to hate his only son.

It was much easier to hate himself instead.

The End